Sacrifice
by PrincessSerenity101
Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight. Sets/Mina Taru/ChibiUsa
1. Prologue

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

Prologue

The most we could do was watch. Seeing the panicked faces of the terrified civilians and hearing their shill screams were painful. This was the third time I had to stand by and watch a kingdom fall – first, at the hands of Queen Beryl; and second, at the hands of Death Phantom. The only difference this time is that the city was defenseless. This new, powerful intruder easily defeated the Guardians of the Outer Rim. Only one of them survived and was forced to retreat. Even now, I don't know where she is. As soon as this invasion got close enough to the heart of the city, the four Soldiers closest to the Royal Family tried to stall for time as the king and queen escaped. Their daughter, Small Lady, disappeared before I could even get a grasp on the situation. My only assumption is that her court, the Sailor Quartet, took her to safety.

I've noticed an unfortunate trend among the Sailor Senshi: they never seemed prepared for the next invasion. Of course, the whole point of an ambush is to take the enemy by surprise, but one would think that the Senshi would be ready for this sort of thing. Even Uranus and Neptune were taken off guard, and they are the most paranoid people I know. The Senshi made a valiant effort in trying to save Crystal Tokyo, but they failed. Hotaru and I were left to watch the last of the city fall.

That day, I stood at the Space-Time Door emotionlessly, holding Hotaru close to me. Her head was resting on my bosom in an attempt to shield her eyes from the carnage. I figured at times like this, I was supposed to be strong for her. She was still relatively new to this job, and she had never been put in a more useless position. Under normal circumstances, she would be out there fighting along with the other Senshi, but she gave up her birthright long ago in order to be my successor. She hadn't looked back since, but I was sure that part of her wanted to help her family and friends. After all, the Senshi and the Royal Family was all she had left. To see her whole life crumble before her must have been heartbreaking.

We did nothing for five whole months. When I was bred into the soulless guardian that I am today, I had to stand my ground no matter what happened. I could not leave this place. If I did, my immortality would be forfeit – something I learned the hard way. Hotaru had to abide by the same rules I once did. She chose this life – she _asked_ for this – and I'd be damned if she tried to break the rules of antiquity.

Considering that the Senshi hadn't appeared in the past few months and that Crystal Tokyo was completely taken over by this new all-powerful villain, I gave up hope. There was nothing that Hotaru and I could do to magically save the day and restore the city to its former glory. The only person who could possibly do that was Neo-Queen Serenity, and only the gods knew where she and the king (or any of the other Senshi for that matter) were. The end of the world had arrived as far as I was concerned.

But Hotaru seemed to think otherwise.

"Setsuna-mama, I'm tired of sitting here and doing nothing! We have to do something to help!" she exclaimed.

"We are in no position to do anything, my dear," I said calmly, not daring to look at her. I didn't want my emotions to get in the way of my job. I had to teach her a lesson.

"Are you kidding? So many people have died because we didn't save them!" she continued, shoving my staff into my hands. I kept my guard up as I stared at her with a stern expression. She had tears in her eyes, and I knew exactly why. She had taken this job in order to escape an eternity of dealing with death, but clearly she couldn't outrun her destiny forever. It was still all around her, as evidenced by the war that we lost.

"It's not our fault, Hotaru."

"So you're okay with Venus dying?"

Automatically, I slammed the end of my staff down on the ground. "Enough!" I yelled.

Hotaru cringed and backed away but did not leave my sight. I glared at her for reminding me of that woman's fate. It was something that I knew of but ignored for the sake of my duty. As much as I loved her, I could not let her death get to me. Until Hotaru took over, I had a job to do.

"Setsuna-mama, we are the protectors of this planet," Hotaru said. "We can't sit here and watch it die. As long as we live, we have to fight until there is peace. Staying here and maintaining order is important, but saving the world is our top priority."

She had a point, although I didn't want to admit it.

"From the looks of things, the enemy has been looking for the Royal Family, right?"

I nodded. Where was she going with this?

"We don't know where the king and queen are, but I know where Small Lady isn't."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"She left this era not too long ago," Hotaru revealed. She pulled out the Space-Time Key I had given her years ago. Originally, I had made only one for Small Lady so that she could call on me for help, so naturally I could sense and receive Small Lady's call on my own. Hotaru was obviously a different case. Since she is my successor, I made a duplicate key with the sole purpose of Hotaru receiving these calls as well. Still, that didn't explain why I didn't know Small Lady left the 30th Century.

"I say we go find her before our adversaries realize that she's missing from this time. And maybe we can stop this whole thing from happening while we're at it."

"Hotaru, we can't rewrite time like that. You know it's forbidden," I scolded her.

"I'd rather break the rules knowing that the planet is safe than obey them and watch everyone we love die," she challenged. "We are the Sailor Senshi! We never give up without a fight!"

Hotaru's optimistic demeanor brightened up the area with that one statement. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, reassuring me that we would win just like we always did. I didn't know it then, but she revived my hope. Now, I think we've actually got a chance.

_**-End Prologue-**_

_I'm back with a new story that I hope you all will enjoy! It's a little different from the stories I've written in the past, focusing less on romance, but hopefully you guys will like it all the same! Til next time_

_Serenity101 _


	2. Chapter One - Setsuna

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter One - Setsuna**_

Needless to say, I'm very proud of Hotaru. She guided us safely to the correct era without my help. She has gained control over time, which means my lessons have been paying off. In fact, we arrived at the Outers' doorstep, and that couldn't have been more perfect. If Hotaru really got Small Lady's distress signal, the Space-Time Key would have guided us to the right year. I wouldn't be surprised if we were off by just a little bit, but I'll take what I can get at this point.

Hotaru knocks on the door hesitantly and then shuffles behind me. I look back and ask, "What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous, that's all," Hotaru says. "Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama of our era haven't seen me at this age, let alone the ones from this century. They'll regard me differently."

To be honest, I forgot about that detail. Hotaru is technically over 1000 years old, although her body makes her look about twenty. She is almost as tall as me but is a lot leaner than I am. I've spent so much time with her since she was small, so I've had the pleasure of watching her grow into the beautiful 'young' lady that she is now. Haruka and Michiru didn't get to see her before she gave up her destiny in order to gain a new one, nor did they even make an attempt to do so.

"They'll be surprised, but I'm sure they won't see you any differently."

The door swings open to reveal Ten'ou Haruka, one of my oldest and dearest friends. She stares at us with shock. Her gaze stays on Hotaru, who is trying to use me as a shield, longer than she probably meant to. In the silence, I grow self-conscious. It becomes clearer with each passing second that Hotaru and I are still in our Senshi forms – we are completely out of place here. I realize that waiting for a reaction is a waste of time, so I decide to barge in. No one else is home, it seems, which works in my favor. This whole situation might be easier to explain if I only have to say it once – I don't think my heart could take it otherwise.

"I thought you left for good," Haruka utters as she closes the door. She ushers us to the living room and has us sit on the couch. Instead of sitting down, she kneels before me and holds my hand. It's as if she wants to make sure this isn't a dream. I grip her hands as tightly as I can and smile at her.

"I thought so too," I say, "but it looks like we have trouble, my friend."

"What's happened?"

Reluctantly, I explain everything. Haruka is unsurprisingly shocked about the fall of our kingdom, the defeat of the Senshi, and Small Lady's disappearance. I try to assuage her fears by telling her that Hotaru and I are going to challenge fate. Of course, that only worries her more.

"Rewriting time? Do you know how cataclysmic that could be?" she asks, jumping up to her feet at the thought.

"It can be dangerous, yes, but what choice do we have?" Hotaru interjects. "Half of the Senshi are lost, the rest are hiding, and the Royal Family has disappeared. Our enemy has gained the upper hand, and there's no way Setsuna-mama and I can defeat them by ourselves. If we can stop them before they make their initial move, we'll have a chance. It's a risk we'll have to take if we want to save the world."

Haruka pauses for a whole minute before giving in. "It's good to know that you'll grow up to be a wise woman, hime-chan," she smiles weakly. Hotaru blushes and looks down at her lap, not used to her adoptive 'father's' praise. I can't remember the last time Hotaru saw Haruka or Michiru, so her shyness is understandable.

"So let me guess. You want to know if Chibi-Usa is here in this time period, am I right?" Haruka sighs, leaning on the arm of the chair next to me. Hotaru and I nod with hope clear on our faces. She shakes her head and shrugs. "I wouldn't know, but I can find out for you."

Hastily, Haruka walks over to the phone hanging on the wall and presumably dials Tsukino Usagi's number. I find myself holding my breath, hoping the princess will answer. The house is so quiet that I can hear the phone ringing, adding to the suspense. It makes me wonder where the other adult Outer Senshi is, as I'm sure this house wouldn't be as quiet if she were present. Perhaps grocery shopping with this era's Hotaru. She liked to get the child out of the house whenever she could. According to her, the house could get a bit claustrophobic (even though it was pretty big), so she found any chance to get some fresh air.

"Hey there, kitten. I just wanted to check up on you. How have you been?"

Reality sets in when I faintly hear Usagi's chipper voice responding back, though I can't make out exactly what she's saying.

"That's great. How have you been holding up without Chibi-Usa? Do you miss her?"

Leave it to Haruka to be subtle. This is why I love her.

"Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it?" Haruka asks as she shakes her head at me. Hotaru and I hang our heads at the same time. Small Lady isn't here in this year, so we'll have to try again.

"Alright, take it easy, kitten. Talk to you soon."

I hear Haruka hang up as I rise to my feet. Hotaru follows my lead as I turn to face the blonde warrior. "I should have asked this earlier, but what period is this?" I inquire.

"We defeated Galaxia about six months ago."

Silently, Hotaru and I try to rack our brains to figure out where Small Lady could be. Being in this time period would make so much sense. This is the beginning of Earth's long period of peace before it freezes over. Unfortunately for us, she could be anywhere between now and the Second Ice Age, which wouldn't be happening for at least another six years. That's too big a gap.

"If things are looking grim for Crystal Tokyo, try looking for her during a time where her best friend is," Haruka suggests. She winked at Hotaru when she said it. "I'm sure that if your past self is in a peaceful time and her family and friends are still alive, she would gravitate towards that."

I frown deeply at that. If that's true, Tokyo could be doomed sooner than expected. "For all of our sakes, let's hope not."

"Why not?"

"If the enemy realizes that Small Lady isn't in our era and has a way to travel back in time, Earth will be in grave danger."

* * *

Hotaru and I hold onto each other's hand so that we won't get separated. The winds are strong, threatening to blow us away and send us to separate times. Traveling out of time is dangerous, which is why it is essentially forbidden. My father knew what he was doing when he made these rules. As harsh as his commandments were, he did it in order to protect me, my descendants, and members of the Royal Family (which was the Family of the Silver Millennium during his reign). Chronos, the God of Time, seemed like a cruel ruler and father back then, but when he left his 'kingdom' to me, I realized that everything that he did was out of love. My only regret was not realizing that sooner.

"I think we're here!" Hotaru yells over the howling wind. "Get ready!"

A blinding light appears before us, and I take it as our cue to get out of here. Instinctively, I shield my eyes as we run into it, hoping that it'll bring us to where we need to go. When the light fades, we find ourselves right in front of the Hikawa Shrine. Above it is a crescent moon, barely illuminating the night. Voices can be heard from inside the shrine, and it's obvious who they belong to. Everyone is shouting for some reason, making it easy to identify each voice.

Hotaru nudges me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Her face is a little worried because she knows exactly why I'm frozen in place. "Should I go alone?" she asks. I know that she doesn't want to.

"Consider this your next lesson. I won't be around forever."

Hotaru nods despite the dumb excuse and walks off into the shrine. I lie in wait and let time tick by. The voices turned into hushed whispers, so I can't hear anything. Perhaps I should have gone inside with Hotaru. To the Senshi of this era, Hotaru's age would come as a surprise, and I know she doesn't do well with prying eyes. That was another reason she decided to become my successor. If there was one thing that she loved, it was a decent amount of solitude.

"You're lying! I know she's out there!"

Quick, padded footsteps grow louder until I see one of the girls step onto the ground with her bare feet. A cool breeze blows her blonde hair into her face, so she smoothes it out to one side. Fate has a funny sense of humor, considering how dramatic that entrance was. She draws closer with an angry glare, ready to hit me, I'm sure. I was never one for drama, but I guess I deserve it. Hurting Aino Minako, the Soldier of Love and Beauty, is never a good idea.

"How dare you?" she exclaims, hitting my chest with her fists.

I grab her wrists and sigh. Sadness swims in her ocean-blue eyes as she looks up at me. My brain barely registers the pain on my chest; it's too busy trying to ignore her emotions. For both of our sakes, I have to try to be as emotionless as possible. "I'm here on business, Minako," I explain. Unfortunately, I don't think she'll listen to me at this point.

"How could you leave me like that?" she asks. "You promised you would stay!"

"There's trouble in Crystal Tokyo, and we need to find Small Lady," I say. As expected, Minako relaxes and recomposes herself. Her eyes are still defiant because she wants answers, but her responsibility to the princess comes out on top. "Have you seen her?"

"Not at all. What's going on in Crystal Tokyo?"

Behind Minako, I see the other four girls standing outside the shrine along with Hotaru. The one who really catches my eye is Kino Makoto. Seeing her alive brings joy to my heart, and it makes my resolve to save Crystal Tokyo even stronger. I look back at Minako and pull her into an embrace. At first, she struggles to get out of my grip, but I hold her firmly. Oh, how I've missed her warmth. The scent of vanilla fills my nostrils as I bury my face into her hair. Chances are that I'll never get this opportunity ever again, so I cherish it for as long as possible.

"Listen closely, and do not tell the others what I'm going to tell you. Understand?" I whisper.

Minako relaxes and holds me closer, nodding affirmatively. My mind tries to tell me she doesn't want to miss a word I say, but I know better than that.

"Our enemy goes by the name of Erebus. He rose from the darkness and invaded Crystal Tokyo. The Senshi couldn't stop him, and the Royal Family is missing. Small Lady traveled back in time, and we need to find her before our adversaries do."

"So this is essentially the Black Moon Clan all over again?"

"Almost, except this is a lot worse."

I pull away and kiss her forehead to seal the deal. She looks up at me, her anger almost gone but I know better than to believe that. "How long have I been gone?" I ask.

"Two years."

Before she can react, I pick her up in my arms and kiss her lips. She's a sucker for movie-style romanticism, and I love indulging in her guilty pleasures. I feel her weight shift toward me as she lifts her legs at an angle. We've only done this a few times. I returned to Crystal Tokyo and the Space-Time Door almost a year after Galaxia's defeat, which didn't give me much time to be with the blonde. If I had a choice, I would have stayed here with her and given her the world.

I set her down and stare deeply into her eyes. "There may come a time when you'll see me again, but for the world's sake, I hope that you won't." I can barely see her with the tears forming in my eyes, but I can tell that I've hurt her a second time. "Promise me that you'll be strong and protect the princess no matter what."

Minako nods. I kiss her forehead again before beckoning Hotaru to me. "Come on, dear, time to get moving," I say. Hotaru hurries to my side and holds her key firmly at her chest. I summon my staff into my hand and open a rift for Hotaru and I to depart in. Without giving any of the teenagers another glance, we disappear into the fabrics of time and space. The shrieking winds return as Hotaru and I make our way through time. I have a feeling we were closing in Small Lady. If we had gone from six months to two years after Galaxia's defeat, I'm sure we will find the princess in no time.

"Are you okay, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asks as she glances back at me.

I simply nod, afraid the lump in my throat will give me away. Hotaru faces forward and stays silent until the next blinding light draws near. When we get to our next destination, it's nighttime again. This time, we're in front of the Tsukino residence. Usagi's house is probably the worst place to show up while in Senshi form, but I suppose we'll just have to make due. As Hotaru thinks of a way to get us inside, I see shadows shifting out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to follow the movement but find nothing. Wishful thinking says my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I know better.

Hotaru and I aren't the only ones looking for Small Lady.

_**-End Chapter One-**_

_Tell me what you guys think! Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	3. Chapter Two - Hotaru

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Two - Hotaru**_

_I stood before Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion for what seemed like the thousandth time. They were growing weary of seeing me, but I wouldn't give up until I got what I wanted. My fellow warriors were in the room as well, watching me with worried eyes. I hated this sort of attention, and I just wanted to get my approval and leave. Besides me, the only other Outer Guardian was Setsuna-mama, but that wasn't surprising. Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama rarely got to leave their posts. They probably wouldn't want to see me challenge the old order of things anyway. They were so old fashioned. Their devotion for the queen and her kingdom was out of this world, so changing the order of their very _existence_ was out of the question._

"_Queen, will you please hear me out?" I asked as I kneeled down on both knees. I put my Silence Glaive in front of me, pushing it toward the king and queen. The moon descendent shot her husband a worried glance, and he responded by putting his hand on top of hers and nodding. She turned back to me with a sad expression._

"_Of course."_

"_I can't live like this anymore," I said. I looked every soldier in the eye as I spoke. "You all have been through a lot. You've fought tirelessly for this planet and risked your lives for its inhabitants time and time again. That's all well and good, but you don't know the things that I've seen. I don't know how I've been able to do the things I've done. Being in charge of birth and revival is wonderful – I can deal with that. Having to deal with death is something completely different. You'd think I'd be numb to it by now, but I'm not."_

_Oddly enough, I remembered the souls I had to put to rest in the past month – not just the goods ones, but the bad ones as well. Their power was overwhelming because there was so much evil inside those poor souls. Destroying them didn't make me feel better about my situation. Just thinking about them made me tear up. At this point, I didn't have the courage to meet my king and queen's eyes. I didn't want them to see the turmoil inside of me._

"_Please, let me be with Sailor Pluto. Let me become a Guardian of Time."_

_The room gets painfully quiet for a few minutes. Usually, this is the part where Setsuna-mama objects and the queen sides with her. Serenity felt sorry for me because I was the youngest in the group, yet I had to deal with the darkest, dirtiest work. The queen understood why I wanted to leave my 'unique' duty behind, but she too was caught between keeping the old order of the Silver Millennium and reigning over this new era._

"_Queen, I beg of you," I heard my adoptive mother speak. "What will become of the Space-Time Door if no one is there to guard it?"_

_My heart skipped a beat, and I knew my surprise was shared with everyone else in the room. I looked up to see the other Senshi's reaction. Venus was especially shocked, and I knew that she wanted to speak out against Setsuna-mama's decision. When my eyes got to the tall, tan warrior, I knew she was being serious. She stared at the queen almost defiantly. My eyes darted back to the blonde ruler to see what would become of me. She stood up and urged King Endymion to do the same. He picked up the Silence Glaive while she knelt in front of me._

"_Are you sure this is what you want?" Serenity asked as she cradled my face in her hands. I nodded vigorously. She looked up to Setsuna-mama and asked, "You're okay with this?"_

"_Yes, my queen."_

"_Then I'll make some changes," the queen said with a sad smile. She stood to her feet and helped me up. Just as Setsuna-mama came to my side, the double doors behind us opened. I turned behind me to see Small Lady running towards me. The Sailor Quartet was close behind her, trying to catch her. My eyes widened in realization. She had been eavesdropping the entire time. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Small Lady, my best friend. Unfortunately, the damage was already done._

* * *

Either the pillow smells like Small Lady or I'm just hallucinating because I miss my friend. According to Usagi, this was where she slept when she lived in this era some years ago. Considering that she isn't in this time, it's weird that the room still carried her scent. Sitting up, I stretch and smooth out my uniform. Last night was the first time in a long time that I got to sleep. Even as the Soldier of Death, I got more sleep than I do now, which isn't saying much. Setsuna-mama put me through rigorous training in order to stay awake without being tired. It's easy for her to not to fall to the temptation of sleep only because that's how she grew up. I'm an unusual case, so it took me a while to get the hang of it.

The ladder to the attic suddenly collapses, and soon Usagi's head appears from the floor. She smiles warmly at me, and I can see Neo-Queen Serenity inside of her. The amazing thing about Usagi is that she never changes when she grows up. Although she is a lot more responsible because she essentially rules the world, her silly and playful nature shines brighter than anything. It especially shows when she and the king are with Small Lady. Small Lady… if only I could find her.

"Hey, Saturn, did you sleep well?" Usagi asks as she climbs up. She sits next to me and pulls me into a tight embrace. I laugh despite myself. Even though I'm technically around the same age as Usagi, she's still motherly. Just like her future self.

"What's so funny?" Usagi pouts.

"It's nothing. I slept well, thank you," I say. "You really didn't have to do this though."

"I know, but you're my friend. Why wouldn't I let you stay?" she asks. "Since I have the house to myself for the week, why not have a guest over?" I smile at her kindness and hug her again. When I draw back, she reluctantly inquires, "So what brings you to the 21st Century? Are you still looking for Chibi-Usa?"

I frown and nod. "Haruka-papa said that she would be in a time where everyone was safe."

"You talked to Haruka-san?"

"Setsuna-mama and I saw her before we showed up at the shrine that day."

"Let us help you," Usagi pleads. "You and Pluto shouldn't be the only ones doing all the work."

I don't know what to say until something strikes a chord with me. Before leaving last night, Setsuna-mama told me that our enemy was tracking our every move if they weren't on a direct search for Small Lady. While Erebus's minions are undoubtedly stronger than the Senshi of this era, they could possibly distract them as Setsuna-mama and I look for the princess. While I don't want to put my friends in danger, I have a mission to take care of.

"Actually, there _is_ something that you could do for us," I say. Usagi brightens up at that and listens intently.

"The enemy that invaded Crystal Tokyo is called Erebus. He controls darkness and uses it to destroy any and all opposition. Somehow, he's caught on to the fact that part of the Royal Family is missing from our time and is looking for Small Lady somewhere here. By now, he's figured out that Setsuna-mama and I are looking for the princess as well. What I need you to do is to be prepared for any kind of attack from Erebus's minions. I doubt anything will happen, but be ready just in case. We weren't prepared when Erebus attacked, and now we're facing the consequences."

Usagi nods and says that she'll inform the others of the news. A shiver goes up my spine, and I know Setsuna-mama is on her way to get me. Before I know it, a rift opens up in front of Usagi and me, and Setsuna-mama steps out of it.

"Good morning, Pluto," Usagi greets playfully, standing up at attention. Setsuna-mama laughs for the first time in a while and plays along.

"Good morning, my liege. How may I be of service?" she says with a bow. Usagi and I burst into laughter. In the 30th Century, Setsuna-mama isn't this fun. I wish I could be around this type of woman more often, but I know that our duty will prevent her from letting her guard down.

"I'd love to stay, Usagi-chan, but we must be off," Setsuna-mama says, "but I'm sure we'll see you again."

Usagi nods and takes the chance to hug my mother before we leave. It's interesting seeing the dynamic between the Senshi and Setsuna-mama. The Inner Senshi are always excited or surprised to see her because she's always absent. Do they really consider her a friend or do they see her as an experienced ally that they see on a rare occasion? Or perhaps they just respect her more because she's older than everyone else? She is the wisest of our group after all. I shake off my thoughts and prepare to depart with Setsuna-mama.

Where are you, Small Lady?

* * *

_To say that Small Lady is my best friend isn't really accurate. We don't really know what else to label it as since we don't want anyone to know that we're more than friends. While Neo-Queen Serenity is more than accepting of love in all shapes and forms, a relationship involving her daughter would be out of the question. Everyone under the Silver Crystal's light ages much slower than before, giving the illusion of immortality. That means Serenity won't be the queen forever, and Small Lady will need a king to rule by her side. Obviously, I can't be that king. Not only that, but I'm technically older than Small Lady. We're five years apart (physically, I've been twenty and she's been fifteen for a long time, thanks to the Silver Crystal), and I don't think her mother and father would appreciate me going after their young, impressionable daughter. I wanted to stay away from her and let things play out the way they were supposed to, but Small Lady was always fond of breaking the rules._

_A few times a month, she would beckon me to the Crystal Palace when everyone was asleep. On warm nights, we sat in the courtyard, talking and holding hands under the moonlight. For colder nights, we sought refuge in one of the many guest rooms the palace had to offer. (If we had dared to sneak into Small Lady's room, we'd be caught for sure since it was right next to the king and queen's chamber.) I looked forward to those winter nights for obvious reasons, but I also dreaded them because I was getting too close to the princess. How could I bond with her like this when I intended to spend the rest of my days as a Guardian of Time? Small Lady wouldn't like it if I just left her like that._

_One night during the winter, I told her about what I planned to do, and she clearly wasn't on board with the idea. "Once you get to the Space-Time Door, you're stuck there forever. That's a fate you can't escape," she whispered to me heatedly. She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, giving me a dirty look. I sat up and placed my hand on her shoulder._

"_I know that, but I'd rather endure that than what I have to deal with now," I tried to explain. "Death isn't something you want to see for the rest of your almost-eternal life. I don't want to be in charge of that."_

"_But that means I can't see you ever again," Small Lady countered. "I can't visit just to see how you're doing, and you can't see me either."_

"_On the contrary, I'll be watching you quite often."_

"_Okay, that's just creepy."_

_Small Lady and I laughed as we eased back into bed. I wrapped my arms around her slender waist and kissed her nose. Her ruby-colored eyes stared into my soul as if she was trying to make me change my mind about my decision. "I know it sounds selfish of me to keep you from something you want, but please reconsider. I don't know what I'd do without you. I need you, Hotaru."_

_She pecked my lips and ran a finger down my cheek. With our chests pressed together, I could feel her heart beating faster and faster. I couldn't see her face too well because of the darkness, but I could tell that she was blushing. Her skin was burning up all of a sudden, though she didn't seem too eager to get out of my grasp._

"_I won't make any promises."_

* * *

Setsuna-mama and I jump another two years, making it six years since we defeated Galaxia. As soon as our feet touch the cement, my Space-Time Key reacts to Small Lady's call. Setsuna-mama can sense her as well, which means we're getting closer. Judging by our surroundings, we're close to the Hikawa Shrine. We dash to our destination in hopes that she'll be there. Just before we make our way up the steep steps, Setsuna-mama stops and pulls me close. She looks around with that paranoid expression I hate so much. I swear, my parents are so weird.

"Whether you find Small Lady or not, return home immediately. Understand?"

"I'm not a child anymore. What are you planning? I can come with you," I say, but she shakes her head.

"Do as I say," Setsuna-mama commands. "When you get back, wait for me and we'll come up with a plan together, alright?"

Sighing, I agree and watch her run off down the street. The sun is slowly setting, so I decide to get going before Small Lady slips through my fingers again. When I get to the top, I see that the five main soldiers are already outside. It looks as though they're going somewhere since they're all dressed up. Parties don't usually start at this time, as most of the ones the queen throws start well past sundown. Still, maybe things are different in this era.

The women see me and rush up to me. They're happy to greet me, though I know Minako is hoping my mother would be with me. She looks disappointed, but I don't acknowledge it. For her sake, I feign nonchalance so that the others don't notice her sudden moodiness.

"Still looking for Chibi-Usa, huh?" Rei asks me. I nod and ask if she's here. The women all look at each other and giggle, knowing something I don't.

"Actually, she's still inside."

Despite myself, I let out a huge grin as my cheeks get hotter. "How long has she been in this year?"

The girls look at each other again and laugh. Makoto was the one to deliver the news this time. "She's been here for a few months."

I slap my forehead, which causes the girls to laugh again. I can't believe it took me this long to find her.

"Don't beat yourself up over it! I never told you what year I was going to anyway!"

At the sound of that voice, more blood rushes into my cheeks and honestly, I wish that I could have gone with Setsuna-mama wherever she went. Bursting into the circle, Small Lady grabs my hands and grins. "I guess our plan kind of backfired, didn't it?" she laughs shyly.

"Just a bit," I agree.

"Where's your mom?"

"I don't know. She just ran off and told me to take you home."

"That's the last place we're going."

"Hold on. I detect a conspiracy," Ami interjects as the five women encircle us. "You've got some explaining to do."

Small Lady shoots me a worried glance, but I think I can get them off our backs for the time being. "Neo-Queen Serenity has given us specific instructions concerning the invasion," I explain. "Small Lady was to hide in this era until the king and queen could get reinforcements. The Senshi alone weren't strong enough to defeat our adversaries, so she needed to buy time to find more people to help with this war. So here we are."

"Does Pluto know about this?" Minako asks. Her eyes show that she knows I'm bluffing for the most part. I suppose a leader like her would know when there's trouble stirring among her teammates.

"If she knew, she would have ignored the queen's order so that Small Lady could be safe."

"Liar. She plays everything by the book," Minako counters.

As the others continue to grill us about our true intentions, I notice Rei out of the corner of my eye looking left and right. Apparently there's danger, and I know that we can't stay here for long. I nudge Small Lady in an attempt to get her attention, but I fail. Fortunately, Rei helps me out.

"Hotaru-chan, get Chibi-Usa out of here. Something is coming."

Everyone quiets down and gets in a defensive stance. Their hands are in their pockets, ready to whip out their transformation pens at any moment. They open up the circle in order for us to leave, but Small Lady doesn't react right away. First, she pulls out something small from her pocket. Squinting my eyes, I realize that it's her Silver Crystal. Its light shines brightly, revealing solid, black masses. Erebus's minions were lying in wait, watching us the entire time. Clearly, this is our cue to leave.

"Come on, Small Lady," I whisper in her ear. "The Senshi can handle this. Let's get to back to the 30th Century and finish the rest of this plan, okay?"

Small Lady nods but ends up doing the unthinkable. She throws the Silver Crystal to the ground and steps on it, smashing it into smithereens and ensuring her own death.

_**-End Chapter Two-**_

_Chibi-Usa, how could you? Hotaru had something up her sleeves, but now what will she do? I guess only time will tell! Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	4. Chapter Three - Setsuna

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Three - Setsuna**_

Looking back on it, it was probably a bad idea leaving Hotaru by herself. There's an eighty-five percent chance that she'll listen to me and take Small Lady back home (assuming she found her), but the remaining fifteen percent worries me more than it should. Even if Small Lady isn't there, Hotaru might start looking for me and try to help me. For now, she can't know that _I_ am trying to help _her_. When we arrived at the shrine, I could feel Erebus's lackeys crawling about. The sun was setting as well, so the growing darkness was adding to their strength. In an attempt to confuse them, I split up from Hotaru and told her to find Small Lady and return home as soon as possible. I can only pray that she listened to me.

I stop running to scan the environment. I can still feel the overwhelming power of darkness surrounding me. Instead of calling out the evil in question, I simply stand and wait for them to appear. The shadows begin to shift until they make a huge blob taller than me. The darkness melts away and reveals a muscular man with ebony skin and a long robe that was so dark it almost seemed to be a part of him. His eyes are completely white but do nothing to hide the darkness within him. I summon my staff into my hand, ready for a fight.

"Sailor Pluto, so good to finally meet you."

"What do you want, Erebus?"

"Where is the princess?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be looking for her."

Erebus sighs and walks around me, eyeing me with a bit of disappointment. "The Royal Family has been such a pest. Getting rid of them is harder than I thought it would be," he says. "No matter, I'm sure you'll do well to lead me to the princess."

"Why would I do that?" I ask, jumping away and pointing my staff at him. He laughs at me and charges toward me with great speed. I sidestep away from him and whisper, "Dead Scream." A ball of dead energy rushes toward him, but he narrowly evades it.

"I'm sure you don't want to end up like your fellow soldiers," Erebus smirks. "Which one of them screamed your name before I silenced her? Ah, yes! The one in the orange. Venus, was it?"

I grit my teeth and simply glare at the evil being, trying my hardest not to let my anger get the best of me. He's pushing the wrong buttons.

"Tell me where the princess is and I'll give you a simple, peaceful death. Like your dear friend, Neptune. I bet the darkness was comforting for her. She didn't have to see her friends die like the other one, Jupiter."

"Shut up!" I yell. "We Sailor Senshi will defeat you and restore peace to the world!"

"Oh yeah? You and what army? Last time I checked, that 'army' of yours was forced into hiding."

Every fiber in my being wants to end this man's life, but I alone don't have the strength. I doubt the Senshi can beat this guy, even with all of our powers combined. The king and queen might have the power to end him, but no one knows where they are. Throwing myself at him while consumed in rage isn't going to help matters at all, so I decide to relax. I figure this would be the time to retreat. I know when I've lost.

"Just like the other enemies the Senshi have fought, you are simply a form of Chaos. Every time we battle Chaos, we win. Don't be foolish and think that you will prevail."

"But I already have."

I open up a rift and feel the winds drawing me in. I stare at my enemy one more time before leaving his presence. With the Space-Time Door in mind, I walk against the strong air currents. I feel a migraine rearing its ugly head, but I press on. My heart sinks, and suddenly I feel sick to my stomach. The closer I get to my home, the more dread I feel. Passing through the light and finding myself back in the 30th Century, I take a look at the Door to see what I've missed.

The Crystal Palace is still standing erect like the strong fortress it's meant to be. Only the Royal Family and its protectors can go inside its walls at will, and that's the only reason why Erebus hasn't been able to completely dominate Crystal Tokyo. One major aesthetic difference is that there is something hanging from the top of the palace. A lifeless body swings gently in the breeze, coated with a layer of dust on top of a layer of dried blood. It's hard to tell who the person is based on appearance because the body is so mutilated. The only way to know who had been left hanging atop the palace was by the patch of orange fabric covering her face. Involuntarily, I gag. Seeing her, the love of my life, like that… I can't bear to look at what she's been reduced to. To think of anyone above the queen almost equates to treason, but when I get my hands on Erebus for what he's done, it'll be for Minako.

The city surrounding the palace is completely demolished. In fact, a cloud of darkness looms overhead. The remaining Senshi are very clever if they haven't been found yet. Finding them myself would be useless during this time because we're down three soldiers. Fighting them at our worst would only get the rest of us killed, and then all hope would truly be lost. The key to winning this war is going back to first day of the attack. Perhaps the best solution to this would be bringing in the soldiers from the past just to have extra manpower. Not only that, but we could probably use Sailor Moon's power to rid the world from Erebus and his darkness.

An odd sense of longing and sadness overtakes me, and I begin to cry for some reason. The migraine that's been building up in my head worsens with each passing moment. Despite my best efforts to wipe the tears away, more fall in their place. I sink to my knees and curl up into a ball, wishing this pain would go away. Not knowing how long the migraine will stay, I figure this isn't as bad as the other pains I've felt.

* * *

"_I-I really like you… and I want to take you out. You know, like on a date… j-just the two of us!"_

_For a Venusian, Minako was rather inexperienced when it came to love. Granted, she's technically human in this life, so I guess I shouldn't have expect something less subtle and more flirtatious. Seeing her vulnerable, nervous, embarrassed, and shy was a treat though. Back in the Silver Millennium, Princess Venus was a force to be reckoned with. She oozed confidence and used her looks to her advantage. She could have anyone she wanted with just a flip of her hair. The lewd, sensual things she had been known to say had men groveling at her feet. Even when she fell in love with one of Endymion's guardians, Kunzite, she still had her wits about her. She was definitely enamored, but she wasn't left speechless. She knew the art of wooing and courting enough to know when to make her move. If only her human counterpart held the same knowledge._

"_My, aren't you a bold one?" I teased with a grin. She blushed profusely and tensed up. That probably wasn't the response she was looking for. "Look, I'm the last person you want to be in a relationship with, sweetheart," I sighed._

"_And why is that?" the blonde grumbled with her arms crossed._

"_Because I have to go back to my post at the Space-Time Door soon."_

_Minako's eyes widened. "What? But the world is safe! Why do you have to go?"_

"_It's my job, Minako. We all have a role to play in protecting Usagi, and this is mine."_

"_I won't let you go. My heart chose you, so you're going to be mine. No exceptions."_

"That's really selfish of you, Minako," I sighed.

_Minako walked toward me and embraced me, saying, "You should try it out sometime."_

_Awkwardly, I stood in the middle of the living room, not knowing how I should react to that. Judging from the lack of noise inside of the house, I knew that Haruka and Michiru were eavesdropping. I would blame them for being nosy, but this was their house too. I suppose they had the right to do what they wanted if they were paying the bills. This made me thankful that Hotaru was still at school. If she caught wind of this, she would never shut up about it._

"_You're going to be really disappointed."_

"_Then promise me you won't leave. I can't be disappointed if you're here with me," she responded coolly. Even if she didn't have the same tact as her part self and didn't use her dangerous, seductive powers to get what she wanted, I had to admit that she had the same determination._

_I gave in. That was my first mistake._

* * *

"Setsuna-mama? Wake up! Are you okay? Please wake up!"

Hotaru's voice. Where is she?

"Mama, wake up! We have to go now! The world is depending on us!"

Everything is so damn dark. Where is my Hotaru? She needs me.

"Mama, open your eyes! Don't die on me now!"

As much as I want to open my eyes, they are too heavy. "Die? Why would you say something like that?" I murmur.

Hotaru grabs one of my hands, which was on my stomach, with one of her own. My hands weren't there the last time I checked. Hotaru smacks my cheeks, rousing me completely from my slumber. I blink a few times until I can clearly see Hotaru hovering over me. She's about to cry, I can tell, but I reach out to her face and cup her cheek.

"Don't be upset, little one. I'm fine," I smile.

Hotaru nods and helps me up to my feet. "What happened to you? You were passed out on the floor when I came back like you said to," she says. "You've been out for hours."

I rub my head, glad that the migraine finally disappeared. "My body was in pain before shutting down," I sigh. "I suspect something happened to the Royal Family." Hotaru looks down, confirming my suspicions. I dare to ask her what happened.

"The king and queen are both gone."

Well, we're doomed.

"If you passed out like that, I'm sure the other Senshi did as well," Hotaru continued.

"Did you?"

"No."

Hotaru looks offended and confused at the time, and it's then that I remember that Hotaru used to be the Soldier of Death. She obviously felt her link between the king and queen disappear, but she reacted to it differently – more accurately, she didn't react at all. While the rest of us felt extreme sadness, she probably wasn't fazed by it. Death had numbed her of feeling any grief that intense long before I took her under my wing.

"Anyway, we have to find the others. Wherever they are, the Sailor Quartet is sure to be there. If Small Lady hasn't returned on her own, I'm sure they'll know where to find her."

I raise my eyebrow at the younger soldier. First, she has us going on a wild goose chase for Small Lady, but now she wants us to stay here and forget about the search. If Small Lady were with the remaining Senshi, this would be all too convenient. Hotaru catches on to my skepticism quickly but stays quiet.

"If we make it out of this mess, you're going to wish Erebus had killed you by the time I'm through with you."

Hotaru simply smiles. "_When _we get out of this mess, I'll be looking forward to it."

_**-End Chapter Three-**_

_Wait, does this mean Chibi-Usa is still alive? What's going on here? Guess you'll find out in Hotaru's scenario next chapter! Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	5. Chapter Four - Hotaru

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Four - Hotaru**_

Small Lady threw me for a loop and scared the hell out of me. After destroying the Silver Crystal, she called for the Corridors of Time to open with her Space-Time Key. The 21st Century warriors didn't look back at us as we left them to fight Erebus's shadows. As we traveled through the winds, something tugged at my heart, but I chose to think nothing of it. If Small Lady hadn't died, I knew who took her place. It really showed when we reached our destination, Crystal Tokyo. As she dragged me into the outskirts of the city, which was all a part of the plan, her clothes were suddenly replaced with her royal garments. The farther away we were away from the city, the more nature surrounded us. All the vegetation was slowly dying without the Silver Crystal. I could tell that the planet didn't know what to do with itself now that both of its rulers were dead.

We found a ravine, which Small Lady slid into without hesitation. I followed her lead and didn't dare question where she was going or what she was planning. At the very bottom, I expected to splash into water, but there was nothing of the sort. The water had dried up months ago. On the other side of what was supposed to be a stream, there was a bush. Small Lady lifted it and pointed to the hole that it was concealing. I barely looked because something more important caught my eye. Something was off about Small Lady ever since we arrived, and it wasn't just the sudden appearance of the dress.

"This is where everyone is hiding," she whispered. "It leads to a part of the palace that was protected by the Silver Crystal and one of Mars's charms. This is an alternate pathway to get there since we were forced out of the palace. Get your mom and come back here."

I nodded, but I couldn't let her leave just yet. I made her drop the bush and brought her close enough for me to speak softly in her ear. "That wasn't your Silver Crystal, was it?"

Small Lady simply shook her head.

"Why did you do it?"

She buried her face in the crook of my neck, trying to hide her tears. I squeezed her as tight as I could without completely crushing her. She sobbed almost violently. Her knees buckled underneath her as she struggled to stay up. I caught her as she fell and scooped her feet off the ground. She wrapped her arms around my neck, clinging to me as I held her up.

"Mama t-told me to. She knew this b-battle would be… h-hard for us to win," the pink-haired princess explained. "She s-said that if she died… we would know true darkness… that's how we're supposed to win."

"But why is the king dead as well?" I ask softly. "Is it for this 'true darkness' thing?"

Small Lady shook her head, and that's when I understood. King Endymion couldn't live without his wife.

"It's okay, Small Lady. We're going to figure this out. We'll save the world. I promise."

* * *

_Every night was a new nightmare. I had to relive the past in order to live for tomorrow. No one knew that about me before since I didn't visit the palace often, but everyone became painfully aware of it soon enough._

_The queen threw a party like she usually did every month. The ball was mostly for appearances and to make sure that all the nations were amicable. Serenity had such a kind and gentle spirit that she could ease the heaviest of tensions just by smiling. It was a real treat just to see her happy and enjoying herself. It was so easy to forget that underneath the royalty persona, she was still human._

_The Sailor Senshi took turns going on rounds. The queen wanted to us to enjoy the night as well, so a pair of us would take half an hour to scan the perimeter of the palace, trade off with another pair of soldiers, and so on. The only Senshi missing were my mother and father, Neptune and Uranus. Every month, they declined invitations in favor of watching out for intruders. I stopped looking forward to a surprise visit from them years ago. I wish they would at least come to see me, if nothing else._

_Whenever I was free to do whatever I pleased, Small Lady would make me sit with her and talk. She wanted to avoid her parents, lest they introduce her to another diplomat and their daughter or son. Small Lady was physically thirteen at the time, so she had no interest in meeting more children her age. She preferred the Senshi's company – mine in particular._

"_Are you sleeping over tonight?" she asked._

"_I have no choice."_

_She crossed her arms. "You make it seem like you don't want to."_

_I grabbed at her cheek and stretched it out much to her chagrin. "Maybe I don't," I taunted. "Got a problem with that, kid?"_

_Small Lady slapped my hand away, causing me to laugh. At first, she didn't find it as funny, but soon she joined me._

"_Looks like we're up for patrol, Hotaru."_

_My laughter stopped abruptly when I saw my mother, Pluto, towering above me. She gave me a stern look, telling me to get my butt into gear. I told Small Lady I would find her after my round and quickly departed. "I thought I told you not to say my name in public," I whispered heatedly into my mother's ear. "When I'm in uniform, I'm Saturn. You know that!"_

"_I didn't know anyone was listening."_

"_You're so embarrassing!"_

_Pluto laughed at me as she put her arm around my shoulder. I hated her attention when it came to big gatherings like this. When we got outside, we were to split up at the outer wall. Before she went in the opposite direction, she warned me about getting close to Small Lady. She didn't think I would try anything _suggestive,_ but she wanted to remind me that I was here to protect and serve the Royal Family more than I was here to have fun. Leave it my job-oriented mother to ruin the mood of the night._

_Time flew by faster than I had expected it to, which was bad for me. All the guests the queen had invited, including the Senshi, were encouraged to stay the night. We guardians had our own floor, which was directly below the Royal Family. The rooms were comfortable and all, but I didn't want to sleep here. Not when the walls were so thin. I wasn't afraid of hearing anyone enduring a night of unbridled passion; I was afraid of someone hearing me when I woke up from a nightmare._

_Despite all my fighting, sleep overcame me. At the very start, I could see people suffering, and I was the one who had to put them out of their misery. I saw all of their souls, so malicious that I had to snuff them out of existence. Seeing the destruction I caused, hearing the screams being silenced by my own glaive… it was too much for my brain to handle. I tried to run away, but more people blocked my path, bleeding and begging me to end their life. Their souls' screams were piercing, and I could barely hear my own thoughts. What more could I do? When all hope was lost, I was the one who had to return the world to order. Unfortunately, it came at a price._

_Predictably, I woke up with a start, screaming a bloodcurdling cry. Tears were already streaming down my face, and I couldn't stop them even if I tried. When the screams subsided, I began hyperventilating. It was my way of coming back to my senses but not yet realizing that I was safe. The room felt so hot, and I could feel myself sweating. The door swung open almost violently, and in rushed the Senshi and Royal Family. I jumped out of bed, not yet in my right mind, and curled up in the corner._

"_Small Lady, go back to bed, okay? Mercury, Jupiter, please escort her to her room," Neo-Queen Serenity spoke softly. "Mars, Venus, go downstairs and tell our guests that there's nothing to worry about. Dear, I'll handle this. I'll be back soon."_

_Suddenly the room was a lot emptier than it had been a minute ago, leaving only the queen and my mother. My breathing slowed down as Serenity got closer to me. She kneeled down before me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down to show her that I was okay. The images would reappear in my mind's eye, so I quickly opened my eyes again._

"_What's wrong, Hotaru?"_

"_Nothing," I said quickly. "Just a nightmare. Sorry."_

"_Just a nightmare?" The queen shot me a worried glance._

"_I get them often. I'm fine, really. Sorry for the disturbance."_

"_How often?"_

"_Every night."_

_Serenity frowned. She stood and helped me up. She led me back to bed, where she made me sit, and kissed my wet forehead, causing my face to flush. How embarrassing was this? Not only did I wake up the Royal Family, my comrades, and the guests downstairs, but I got the queen really worried about me. To top it all off, I was a grown woman! What did I look like being babied by my mother and the queen? I felt so immature._

"_Pluto, come here."_

_Setsuna-mama came over to us and sat beside me, holding me closer than she ever had before. Serenity told me to tell them what the nightmares were like. I suppose Serenity wanted to determine what caused them and put an end to them. I told them everything – how I hated being the Soldier of Death and the toll it was taking on me. I couldn't stand this anymore. It was at that point that I asked for a new role. I would accept it no matter what it was. The queen shook her head, saying that she couldn't do such a thing. It was unheard of._

"_With death comes life," she said, trying to make me understand. "Even though you have to deal with the pains of death, you also get to see the joys of birth."_

_I didn't want to argue, especially since it was so late at night, and Serenity was probably exhausted. I nodded and let it go, which brought a weary smile to her face. She kissed my forehead again before bidding my mother and me goodnight. Setsuna-mama offered to sleep with me, and I was definitely on board with that idea. Sleeping in her arms made me happy, and I wanted nothing more than to be with her like this all the time._

_That's when it hit me. If I could get away from my cursed birthright, I could be by Setsuna-mama's side. I could be a Guardian of Time._

* * *

I got back to the Space-Time Door to find Setsuna-mama unconscious. Immediately, I got down on my knees and placed her head on my lap. I shook her hoping to wake her up. She couldn't have been attacked because there wasn't a scratch on her, and no one could get here besides the two of us. When she didn't respond, I called her name. She didn't move at all. What if her time had simply run out? What if I was too late? I sat there for hours, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Setsuna-mama? Wake up! Are you okay? Please wake up!"

Still no movement.

"Mama, wake up! We have to go now! The world is depending on us!"

I was starting to tear up. I swear, if she died now, her timing couldn't be any worse.

"Mama, open your eyes! Don't die on me now!"

"Die? Why would you say something like that?" she uttered.

"Because you're not a goddess anymore, and you could die at any moment," I wanted to say, but that would only worry her more. Instead, I let out a sigh of relief at the sound of her voice. I gripped her hand as tight as I could, hoping she would continue to respond to me. She cupped my cheek and said, "Don't be upset, little one. I'm fine."

I nodded and helped Setsuna-mama up to her feet. "What happened to you? You were passed out on the floor when I came back like you said to. You've been out for hours."

"My body was in pain before shutting down," she answered. "I suspect something happened to the Royal Family. What happened?"

I hung my head and stared at the floor. She couldn't have been more right. "The king and queen are both gone."

An awkward pause filled the space, so I tried to end it. "If you passed out like that, I'm sure the other Senshi did as well," I assumed.

"Did you?"

"No."

I almost said, "Why would I?" but I had to stop myself. Even though I was well on my way of becoming the only Guardian of Time, I was still in tune with my old job. While I hated death and anything associated with suffering, I was numb to the kind of grief that the Senshi experienced. As long as I wasn't the one causing it, it didn't affect me as much as I thought it should have.

"Anyway, we have to find the others. Wherever they are, the Sailor Quartet is sure to be there. If Small Lady hasn't returned on her own, I'm sure they'll know where to find her."

Mama gave me suspicious look, but I couldn't look away without seeming guilty. If she knew I was up to something, she wouldn't let me live it down.

"If we make it out of this mess, you're going to wish Erebus had killed you by the time I'm through with you."

I mentally laughed, but I managed to smile and suppress my desire to chuckle. "_When _we get out of this mess, I'll be looking forward to it."

_**-End Chapter Four-**_

_Looks like we're all caught up with both sides of the scenario. Now we can continue forward with the flow of events. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	6. Chapter Five - Setsuna

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Five - Setsuna**_

Hotaru and I venture out into the dead wasteland that was once our home. Hotaru leads me to a ravine, where the Sailor Quartet seems to be waiting for us. They greet us with a simple nod, which we return curtly. Sailor Ceres goes further ahead of us while the other three guide us to our destination. By the time we catch up to the pink-clad soldier, she's holding a makeshift piece of shrubbery, revealing a hole that she wants us to go through.

"It's quite a drop," she says, "so be prepared to land at some point. Hurry!"

For a newer Senshi, Sailor Ceres is doing a good job of keeping her cool during hard times. It reminds me of another fallen soldier who had the same demeanor. I let Hotaru take the lead as she jumps into the darkness. The hole is too narrow for more than one person to jump into at once, so I wait until I'm sure Hotaru is at the bottom. When I hear her land, it's my turn to jump. The space is tighter than I expected it to be, but it's nothing to worry about. The farther I go, the less dirt I see. The walls slowly become crystal, and it becomes clear that this is an extension of the palace.

I land safely and scan the room quickly, moving away from the entrance so that the Quartet would have space to arrive. Hanging from the ceiling and walls are Mars's charms, which repel evil and make this ground holy. The room isn't large at all, but it's big enough to give everyone walking room. On the other side, there is an exit to the world above and a tunnel that leads back to the palace, but it's blocked off. Finally, I muster up the courage to regard my friends.

Mercury, Mars, and Uranus sit on the floor with puffy eyes and broken souls. Their bodies look weak since they probably haven't eaten anything in a while. They've been hiding here the entire time without going outside once, so whatever rations they had have surely run out by now. They don't acknowledge me or Hotaru, but it doesn't seem to faze her as much as it fazes me. Small Lady, the girl that we had been searching for all day, is here, safe and sound. In fact, she's trying to rouse the other women from their trancelike states. Apparently, Serenity's death had hit them hard. There's a noticeable difference about the young girl. She's wearing a dress that's exactly like her mother's, wings and all. It's as though she literally transformed into the next ruler of the planet.

"Small Lady," I call just as the Quartet begins to appear one by one, "I mean, my queen." I chastise myself for letting the old title slip from my mouth like that. I notice that the three older guardians become more alert when the word 'queen' found their ears, but they revert back to their zombie state when the realize that Serenity – their Usagi – is still gone. I kneel down and bow my head quickly.

"Don't call me that," she murmurs.

I stand to my feet and close the distance between us and the new reigning queen. "Have you been here this entire time?"

"No. I went back to the past for selfish reasons," she confesses. "We've been hiding for five months. I wanted to enjoy peace again, even if it was for a little while."

"How could you run away at a time like this?" I challenge. As much as I want to stay calm, my frustration seeps out of me. "Your mother and father probably sent you here so that you could be safe, and you run off while they die at the hands of Erebus? That monster could have found you and killed you!"

"It's not her fault that the king and queen have passed," Sailor Juno defends as she jumps in front of me. I back down, but it's not because she's glaring at me so intensely. I notice Hotaru's eyes light up with a fire so bright, and I have to look away. She reminds me that I have stepped out of turn and that I have to be more sensitive. After all, her mother and father are gone.

"Leave her be," the new Serenity sighs. "You're right. I should have been more mature about it. I'm sorry. But right now, let's focus on getting these three to come to their senses."

Hotaru narrows her eyes at me and sits down next Uranus. Sailor Juno leaves and joins her comrades and queen in their semicircle around Mercury and Mars. Slowly but surely, their efforts pay off. At first, they rub their faces and look around the room to regain their bearings. The moment Uranus comes back to reality, her eyes stare at Hotaru in bewilderment. She looks to me, appearing even more shocked, and then turns back to Hotaru. She squeezes my apprentice, who is taken by surprise, into a hug. It's been years since they've seen each other, and it shows. While Hotaru doesn't know what to do with the attention, she figures responding to the hug will be a good start. Mercury begins to look at her surroundings before relaxing. She looks at Serenity and smiles sadly. Mars puts her hand on the small queen's shoulder and gives her the thumbs up.

"Your wish is our command," she grins. "We'll keep you safe."

Serenity nods but doesn't seem confident with that statement. She looks at me, causing everyone to follow her lead. Uranus even lets go of Hotaru long enough to stare.

"You've left your post," Mars says as if she's surprised.

"I don't think it would serve me well to stay there and watch my friends die off," I counter defensively.

"That hasn't stopped you before…"

"Watch it, Mars," Uranus interjects. "Now isn't the time to start picking fights. What matters is recomposing ourselves and getting ready to fight Erebus."

Mars offers me an unapologetic glance, but I don't think anything of it. Time is running out on us, and tensions are running high. The anxiety is destroying us from the inside, and it might be our downfall if Erebus doesn't get to us first.

"Let's face it," Mercury pipes up. "We can't defeat him like this. We're malnourished, and we don't have the full team. There's no way we can win."

"On the contrary, I think there's something that we can do," Serenity disagrees. Everyone looks to her and remains silent. Who would have thought that the new queen had a plan figured out so soon?

"The only way we can defeat him is if we go after him head on," she explains. "We have to face the darkness by becoming it. Knowing what it's like to be consumed by true darkness is the only way we can win."

"You mean we have to let him capture us?" Mercury asks.

"Yes."

"But what if he kills us immediately after capture?" Sailor Vesta points out. "Then our deaths would have been a waste and the whole world would be doomed."

"I know that, but you just have to have faith. Mama said it'd work…"

Serenity covers her mouth right after saying that, and now all eyes are on her. Hotaru slaps her forehead and shakes her head, apparently knowing something that the rest of us don't. A question is looming over our heads, but no one wants to ask it. I suppose we're afraid of the answer. Still, someone has to say it, so I say what's on everyone else's mind.

"When did you speak to your mother?"

Serenity is unwilling to answer. No one wants to force it out of her, but we have to know. Something is going on, and we have to get to the bottom of it.

"Serenity. When did you speak to your mother?"

"Two months ago."

Mercury, Mars, and Uranus visibly jump at her words. "But you've been with us ever since Erebus took control of the city," Uranus says.

"I snuck out while you all were sleeping. My Silver Crystal guided me to Mama."

"So what did she say? What was her plan?"

Serenity hesitates. All is silent as we wait for her to fill us in. Hotaru tries to divert our attention away from the pink-haired girl.

"Leave her alone. She obviously doesn't want to talk about it."

"If we're going to carry out the plan as she suggested, we have to know what the queen wanted us to do before she…" Mercury leaves it at that.

Serenity grabs her dress and bites her lip. Her eyes are filled with tears, but she holds them back for as long as she can. "Mama told me that as long as she was alive, you all would have hope. You'd trust in her to save the day, just like she used to. She said that maybe if she were gone, we would lose hope but gain strength."

Serenity pauses and shrinks down as tears start to fall. Mars, the closest person to her, rubs her arm, trying to comfort her as well as urge her to continue.

"Maybe if she were gone, we could learn what true darkness really is so that we could overcome it. She told me to leave this era so that you all would lose faith. And then she gave me her Silver Crystal and said to destroy it when the time was right."

Everyone in the room seems shocked except for Hotaru. In fact, she's the only one gazing at Serenity with sympathetic eyes. My suspicions flare up inside me. I'm ready to confront my daughter about them, but part of me hopes that I'm overreacting.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" I ask her, causing her to jump.

"I didn't know about any of that, but Small La—I mean, the queen came to me asking for help with something," Hotaru reveals. "She wanted me to help her travel back in time without you knowing, so I did that. She told me to search for her after two months passed, so I pretended like nothing happened. The plan after that was to get her back here safely, which I did."

I'm close to blowing my lid, and I know the others can see that. "You mean that you knew where she was this entire time, but you misled us intentionally?"

"N-no! I only knew that she had gone to the 21st Century, just not the year," she explains carefully.

"But you found her eventually and deliberately disobeyed me?"

"That's right."

I'm at a loss for words. My pupil, my only daughter… she lied to me! After all of that trouble that we went through, she lied to me! I thought I could trust her, but obviously I'm wrong. There's nothing I would love more than to punish her in front of everyone, but I know that now is not the time. I need time to think and process all of this, so my only thought is to leave. Without a word, I open a rift in the fabric of time and space and return to the Space-Time Door.

_**-End Chapter Five-**_

_This is probably the worst time to for Setsuna to get mad. At times like this, the Senshi have to stick together! Will they be able to pull it together? Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	7. Chapter Six - Hotaru

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Six - Hotaru**_

Times passes, but Setsuna-mama doesn't come back. I feel really awful about getting her upset, and it shows. I sit far away from my friends, sulking and beating myself up over Setsuna-mama's anger. When I think about it, she didn't deserve this at all. 21st Century Minako was right about one thing: Setsuna-mama plays _everything _by the book, even if she has to sacrifice her own happiness. She's only broken the rules once, and now she's paying for it. The only people who know about her fall from grace are the former queen, the late king, and I.

Haruka-papa crosses the room and sits beside me awkwardly. It's as if she doesn't know what to say or do to make me feel better, though I would be surprised if she did. We haven't seen or spoken a word to each other in years. She puts her arm over my shoulder, but I don't move at all. She senses my discomfort and even goes a step further to challenge me. She moves closer and holds me tighter, trying to build up a sense of security. I naturally tense up.

"Setsuna just needs to cool off a bit, that's all," she sighs. "She never knew how to handle her anger well."

"I know."

"You shouldn't feel like it's your fault."

"Right."

Serenity shoots me a warning glare while the others refuse to look me in the eyes. Things get really awkward. I forget how small this space is and that starting family drama in front of my friends probably isn't wise. I roll my eyes and drop my defenses to ease the tension.

"Setsuna-mama won't trust me after this," I say. "She hates it when people waste her time."

"Except she doesn't have any time left per se…"

_Because she's mortal, _I think with regret.

"Because we're doomed?" Mars interjects. Mercury elbows her and tells her to stay quiet. Haruka also throws her a dirty look.

"Because she's guaranteed eternity, unlike the rest of us," the blonde warrior says, correcting Mars. "You'd think she has all the time in the world, but what can she do with it? The concept of time as we know it is lost to her. Even if we are defeated, she'll keep on living as long as the Space-Time Door needs a guardian." Turning to me, she adds, "I'm sure she'll come around."

"Coming from her _best friend_, that sounds so reassuring," I mutter under my breath. Serenity and Haruka-papa are the only people who catch my words, and I can feel their separate reactions. Serenity looks absolutely furious, making her the second person that I've pissed off today. Haruka-papa is clearly saddened by my sudden attack and doesn't know how to react. The tension in the room becomes more awkward than it needs to be.

Rolling my eyes again, I stand up and beckon my father to follow. We exit the hiding spot and find ourselves on the surface yet again. The cold air picks up the dust and blows it into our faces, making it hard to breathe or see. She sees that the dust is bothering me and immediately comes to my side, but I take two steps back.

"Don't," I say forcefully.

"Hime-chan…"

"Don't call me that!" I yell, although I didn't mean to. Haruka-papa backs off and holds her hands up in surrender.

"Alright, just keep your voice down," she says calmly. "Look, I know that you're upset that Michiru and I haven't been there for you since the rise of Crystal Tokyo, but…"

"Upset?" I repeat. "Are you kidding me? It's been _hundreds _of years since the rise of Crystal Tokyo, and neither of you wanted to see how I was doing. The only one who cared was Setsuna-mama! She went to every ball the queen threw just to see me; she was there to confront my fears even when I was old enough to do it myself; and she taught me every life lesson I know. At least she acts like my parent! You and Michiru-mama are so in love with the idea of protecting the Royal Family that you forget that I exist! Now look at what happened to her. I guess she went above and beyond the call of duty."

"How dare you?" Haruka-papa growls. She takes two steps closer toward me with an angry look on her face. My own emotions melt away, and I find myself paralyzed. I hold her gaze because something inside of me is afraid she'll punish me if I run away. My temporary bravery and brash words seem really stupid now, and I wish I could take them all back. How could I say something about Michiru-mama like that, knowing that she gave her life to save Crystal Tokyo?

"The members of the Royal Family aren't the only people that Michiru and I live to protect," my father reminds me, grabbing me by the bow on my chest. She pulls me closer until we're almost nose-to-nose. I've unleashed a creature whose fury knows no bounds, and it's too late to calm it down. I've never actually seen her so worked up before, but that goes to show just how long it's been since we've seen each other.

"There's not a single day that goes by where I don't think about you, and there's nothing I'd love more than to see you every day," she says shakily. For a long time, she stares into my eyes. She bites her bottom lip before pushing me away and hiding her face from me. She doesn't want me to see her crying, so she's trying her hardest to keep everything in. I'm glad that she only shoved me because I expected something worse than that.

"Michiru and I have been waiting for the day we got to see you again when Crystal Tokyo finally experienced real peace, but then this happened." She pauses as she clenches her fists. I take a step forward, but now she's the one taking a step back.

"When I lost her, I lost all hope," she reveals. "I thought that you and Setsuna wouldn't come back. If you were anything like her, you would have followed the rules without a second thought. I figured that I would never see you again."

"But you've had so many opportunities to see me," I point out quietly. "Every time the king and queen would announce another ball, you and Michiru-mama always declined the invitations."

"Because criminals take the opportunity to do as they please when the Senshi are distracted. If we didn't have so much on our plate so often…"

"Why couldn't you neglect your duty just for one day? Why couldn't I have been a good enough reason for you both to just drop everything and see me?"

Everything around us is quiet. I regret asking the question because I already know the answer. The whole world revolves around the Royal Family after all. I wonder if I'm being selfish but then remember the days before Crystal Tokyo. There was so much stability in our home. Even when Setsuna-mama left for the Space-Time Door, the amount of love I received never changed. The four of us had a bond so strong that distance and time couldn't break it. We were literally the happiest family that existed, and I had all the evidence to prove it. Why can't I have that now? What makes this era so different that I can't even see my family together all at once?

Haruka-papa takes the initiative and envelopes me in the tightest hug I've ever gotten. I can barely breathe, but I don't mind. I squeeze Haruka-papa with all the strength that I can muster. Before either of us know it, we're both sobbing in each other's arms.

"I love you, hime-chan. I haven't done a good job of showing it, but I love you with all my heart," the taller woman chokes out.

"I know. I love you too," I respond.

And that's the truth.

"Saturn? Uranus?"

Despite hearing Serenity's voice, my father and I stood together in each other's grasp a moment longer before separating. She kisses my forehead gently before putting her arm around me and addressing the small queen. Eyeing every aspect of the girl, I see past the brave act she's putting on for everyone else's sake. Her posture does not reflect that of a leader; in fact, she's rather uncomfortable. Her red eyes appear glossed over, as if she were going to cry at any minute. She bites her bottom lip unsurely, making it swollen and redder than the natural flush in her cheeks. If only she knew how badly I wanted to comfort her and shower her with kisses.

"What is it, my queen?" Uranus asks playfully, winking at the pink-haired girl. Serenity laughs nervously. It's her way of brushing it off without saying what she actually thinks. She knows that she doesn't have time to correct Haruka-papa. We have much more pressing matters to think about right now.

"Pluto has come back," Serenity says cautiously. She stares at me carefully for a moment before looking elsewhere. "She's looking for Saturn. She said that you have important business to attend to."

Haruka-papa gives me a reassuring pat on the back as she led me back inside of the hideout. Serenity walks behind us (probably to avoid looking at me). When we return to our safe haven, Setsuna-mama is waiting for me in the middle of the room. She doesn't smile or greet me. Her eyes simply command me to draw close. I do as I am told and feel myself curling up at her side. Her anger makes me shrink, and I feel like a child again. She puts her arm around me, but I don't feel any sort of security like I did with Haruka-papa. Setsuna-mama is still upset.

"We'll be back soon," she states curtly.

I try to give my friends a reassuring smile, but I can tell that they aren't convinced that I'll be okay. Setsuna-mama and I make our way outside of the hideout before actually opening the Corridor of Time. The winds could have pulled the others in with us if we remained in that small space. Sooner than I anticipate, we return to the Space-Time Door. My mother takes a deep breath as she stares at me with cold eyes. I suppose now would be the perfect time to apologize even though it won't do much.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"You won't go unpunished for this, you know," she reminds me. I wince at the thought and frown.

"I understand."

"Why would you do that?" Setsuna-mama says exasperatedly. "Why would you go off without me knowing?"

"I suppose it would have ruined the former queen's plans," I answer. "She wanted all of us to give up. You heard what Serenity said. You would have tried to stop us if you found out."

"But you didn't even know about that part. Or was that a lie too?"

"It wasn't a lie. Would you have let us go through the Corridor of Time if you knew what the queen was planning?"

Setsuna-mama remains quiet because she knows that she wouldn't have twisted the rules for us. Even if she did help, she would have been very hesitant about it. The last thing that she needs is consequences piled on top of more consequences.

"I know that it wasn't right," I sigh, "but there was nothing else that we could have done. We're desperate here. The way things are going, we'll lose everything. I'll do whatever it takes to save what's left of this world. That's my sole purpose."

Setsuna-mama relaxes, and her eyes grow distant. She walks over to me and hugs me. This hug is different from usual, so I don't know what to make of it. It's almost as if this is an embrace of understanding. I feel as though I've finally reached a new level in my apprenticeship where she can take me seriously. Usually when I've done well, she pats my head or shoulder and gives me a look of approval. I've either been her apprentice or her daughter – never both. Whatever this hug is supposed to mean, it feels like a combination of the two.

"I didn't want you to make the same mistake that I made," Setsuna-mama whispers in my ear.

I have an idea of what she's referring to. One phrase that she's pounded into my brain comes to mind, and I end up saying it out loud before I can stop myself.

"Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it."

Setsuna-mama draws away and holds me at arms' length. "I wish you knew my errors before any of this happened," she says.

"Then tell me what you've done so that I can avoid doing the same."

Time doesn't flow here like it does for the rest of the Senshi, so we have all the time in the world. Setsuna-mama knows that but finds it hard to begin. She sits down on the floor and rests her staff beside her, urging me to sit by her side. She puts her arm over my shoulder and looks far off into the timeless void.

"Oh, where to start?"

_**-End Chapter Six-**_

_It's good to see the Outers are on good terms again. Now they can be a family once more :D For future reference, Chibi-Usa/Small Lady is now Serenity because she is now the queen. (Just in case there was anyone who was confused.) Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	8. Chapter Seven - Setsuna

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Seven - Setsuna**_

When I was born, my father, Chronos, bred me into the perfect machine. I was his exact copy in every way (aside from being a completely different sex). He created a silent, brooding, resentful, bitter child to take over his 'throne,' and he made sure that those traits were battered into me on purpose. In the same way that I crave the other guardians' freedom, he coveted the ability to go anywhere he wished like his comrades could. Years and years passed, and I grew older until I reached my physical prime. Familiar faces came and went in an unforgiving cycle. Everything changed when Princess Serenity and her guardians were born, but nothing could prepare me for what was to come. That year, Chronos left the Space-Time Door to me, and I haven't seen him since then. His last words were, "Keep an eye on the Royal Family and maintain the order of things." I remember he said that so nonchalantly as if he was coming back.

As lackluster and anticlimactic as that sounded, I did as I was told. I watched Princess Serenity grow up and meet her protectors. My expression was emotionless as it had always been, but my heart burned with the desire to leave the box I was trapped in. Every now and then, I checked on the Outer Guardians, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn. Uranus and Neptune were very restricted when it came to traveling to the moon, and I knew they wanted the same thing I did. Saturn, on the other hand, was in a dormant state. She was asleep until it was necessary for her to use her deadly powers.

Standing guard finally took its toll when I was left to watch the destruction of the Silver Millennium. That was the first time I had to stand back and watch my entire world be destroyed. Not only that, but it was the first time I had ever seen Sailor Saturn awake. After Queen Serenity sacrificed her life to save the souls of her loved ones, Saturn obliterated whatever was left of the Moon Kingdom. Her power frightened me. For the first time in my life, I was glad to stand outside of time, where nothing could affect me. I did not fear death because I could not die, but Saturn evoked that kind of fear inside me easily.

After thousands and thousands of years of watching absolute darkness, the souls that had been sent away from the moon had finally reawakened. Along with the Sailor Senshi, the princess had gained some power, which even surprised me. I watched Sailor Moon win fight after fight as she searched for the princess, although she would eventually figure out that she was, in fact, the Moon Princess all along. Usagi, as the human girl was called, was easy to read, though in a good way. As she found her protectors one by one, I could tell that she was starting find some meaning to her previously mundane life. Her growth was slow at first, but her level of maturity grew with each battle she had to face. Watching her the way I did was like reading a story after skimming it over the first time. I had a general idea of how her life would turn out in the future, but I wanted to fill in the blanks by seeing her overcome her trials.

Of course, she wasn't the only one I took notice of. For some reason, the guardian of Venus caught my eye the moment she completed the princess's circle. In her past life, I never paid her any special attention, yet something was different this time. Perhaps it was the easygoing, carefree nature that she had gained in the reincarnation process; or maybe it was the level of maturity she had retained from her past life. Whatever it was, she captivated me from the start. At that point, there was no way for me to talk to her and get to know her. As much as I wanted to leave my post for that reason alone, I couldn't betray my father. If I had went against his rules, what would be left of me? I would be stripped of my immortality with no one else to look after the Space-Time Door and the Royal Family.

Although I knew most of the future, the Black Moon Clan's attack was a complete surprise to me. I didn't know it then, but they would eventually give me the chance to see Sailor Venus in the flesh. When I did, I was certainly not disappointed. On the outside, I was the normal, emotionless Guardian of Time, but I was star-struck on the inside. I couldn't speak to her as freely as I wanted to due to the situation at hand, but I knew that I would get my chance one day. In the end, I sacrificed myself by breaking one of the most sacred taboos – using Time Stop in order to help Sailor Moon and her friends.

(Interestingly enough, I saw my father's face for the first time in years before I died. Death had felt instantaneous to my body, but the moment I saw Chronos in my mind's eye felt like five minutes at the very least. He was not angry, nor was he disappointed. There was no emotion on his face, just the way I remembered him. "You had no choice," he told me. His voice echoed in my ears softly, almost soothingly. "It was for the princess. You deserve a little rest." He disappeared from my sight, being as elusive as ever. When everything went dark, death's embrace was warmer than I had ever imagined. I thought it would be cold and lonely, but it wasn't. To this day, I like to believe Chronos held me in his arms until the day I returned to the world of the living.)

It was a shame that I had to play the role of Sailor Moon's 'enemy' when I was reborn as Meiou Setsuna. While Haruka and Michiru had their own motivation to fight, I had different reasons for acting the way I did. They thought they were the only ones capable of defeating the enemy and protecting the princess because they were willing to take drastic measures. My reason for acting the way I did was to make the girls stronger and to make them think differently. I had to give them the harsh reality of being a soldier and give them the strength to fight their next enemy. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus still had a lot to learn about being leaders, so I decided to teach them a lesson.

Again, I wasn't able to talk to Venus until much later. When Nehellenia separated the Senshi by pairs, I was finally able to interact with her. Our fighting styles clashed a bit on the battlefield, but we were able to get through that nightmare together. It was around that time that I noticed that Minako looked at me differently. She was always nervous around me, and I couldn't tell whether she wanted to be near me or not. Luckily, I did have to face her until after Galaxia was defeated.

I knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to form a relationship with her when I had to go back to the Space-Time Door, but there was no way I could refuse the blonde. I gave into her and my feelings selfishly, hoping to experience true happiness. It was the best decision of my life, or so I thought for a long time. Months passed before I realized that I couldn't run from my destiny, and that my place was at the Space-Time Door.

Without saying a word to anyone aside from Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru, I returned to the place of my birth. I stayed there for so long, watching my Minako sink into despair. There would be times where Neo-Queen Serenity summoned me to aid the other guardians in patrolling the palace's perimeter, and it gave me the chance to see Minako again. More often than not, I watched Minako's interactions with her comrades, and she was always smiling. That changed when she was alone. Everything seemed to lose meaning to her when she was by herself. Even if she and I patrolled together by some odd twist of fate, she was devoid of any real emotion. I knew what she really felt on the inside. I had secretly hoped that somewhere along the way, she would have gotten over me. She knew as well as I did that she couldn't put anyone above the Royal Family and had finally resigned herself to fate. She was trying so hard to perform her duty now, just like I had tried to in the past, but I knew she still held me in higher regard than even the queen.

Hotaru became a great distraction. It sounds cruel calling her that, but that's what she was to me at the root of it all. The queen had given her permission to stay with me as the next Guardian of Time. Hotaru being with me had broken all the laws of birthright as we knew it, but Serenity went with it. There was no harm in it as far as we knew, though there was no longer a guardian to take over Hotaru's job. For a while, we ignored that void Hotaru left in order to make her feel comfortable and to maintain her focus on protecting the Royal Family.

I passed on some of my power to her so that she could survive the harsh conditions I lived in. She couldn't eat, drink, or sleep like she used to because I would eventually forbid her from leaving this place. Surprisingly, she caught on well enough and never complained. She was the perfect pupil, and I was proud to call her my daughter. As a reward, I would let her go to the ball and do as she pleased (as long as she behaved and patrolled when she was supposed to).

Even with Hotaru around, loneliness overcame me. The Minako I knew in the twenty-first century didn't know what to do with herself because I had left so suddenly, and the Minako I knew in Crystal Tokyo rarely even looked me in the eye. There was only one thing that I could think of to rectify this, but it would come at a price. In the end, I did what my father had forbade me to do millennia ago and left my post at the Space-Time Door. I traveled back to where the pain hurt Minako the most – when she had realized that I had left for good. When I arrived, she was sleeping in her bed, having cried herself to sleep already. My uniform melted away and was replaced with my civilian clothes. I knelt at her bedside and shook her awake as gently as I could.

The moment she laid eyes on me, a shock went through her. I could see her brain trying to connect the dots but failing miserably. "Is this a dream?" she whispered. I simply smiled and shook my head. She grabbed my face and stared into my eyes to make sure that she was awake. "Are you sure?"

I nodded again in response. "Setsuna would never break the rules for me," she said, releasing me and inching away to the other side of the bed. "She doesn't break the rules for anyone."

"I'm breaking them for you now, aren't I?" I asked.

Minako hesitantly crawled back to me and gently touched my cheek with her index finger. She traced a line down to my jaw, continued down my neck, and over my shoulder. She soon reached my hand, and I interlaced our fingers together. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you." It seemed that those were the only words I needed. That night, I made Minako mine, again and again, as if the morning would never come. I knew Minako would never forget that I loved her, no matter what. In fact, if I ever saw Minako in the thirtieth century again, I knew she would be different. She would dare herself to smile at me, look at me, and even talk to me. I knew I changed something in the future, even if it was something as minor as that.

Leaving Minako a second time was harder than the first, but I had to return to my timeless home. Consequences were awaiting me there. As soon as I had reached the Space-Time Door, I found that it was open. Hotaru was standing in the middle of the doorway, looking absolutely horrified. I had returned so casually dressed and disheveled that Hotaru automatically knew where I had been. She looked away from me to someone else outside of the door. I already knew it was Neo-Queen Serenity.

Whatever the queen had in store for me could not rival the anger of Chronos. The absent Time God did not punish me right away, but my time soon came. When I was alone, I could feel him inside of my heart, tearing away at everything that made me who I was. At the end of it all, my powers remained, but I was branded a mortal. My body did not age immediately despite how old I was. It didn't matter though, as I knew that one day, I would suddenly grow fatigued and simply die. The worst part about it was that I, just like any normal human, didn't know when that day would come.

It didn't stop me from teaching Hotaru everything I knew. I had to make sure that she was prepared for the heavy burden that had been placed on me. Hopefully, I haven't failed her.

_**-End Chapter Seven-**_

_I had fun with this chapter. Writing about Setsuna's character is always interesting. Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	9. Chapter Eight - Hotaru

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Eight - Hotaru**_

I listen to Setsuna-mama's story thoughtfully and patiently. I realize that there was so much about her that I never knew; now I'm the only one who knows her history. I'm stunned by how far she was willing to go in the name of love. As she recounts the moment she traveled back in time to see Minako, I think about how I reacted to her sudden disappearance. I was at the Space-Time Door, waiting for her to come back at any second. When she never returned, I panicked. I ran to Neo-Queen Serenity and told her how my mother was missing. She accompanied me back to the door, but Setsuna-mama had already returned by then. The queen didn't punish her, thankfully, because she said it wasn't her place – or rather, it was out of her jurisdiction. Setsuna-mama was a special guardian, one who had been around longer than all of the Senshi's ages combined. There were ancient laws that she had to abide by that the queen did not have the power to enforce.

"That's why I put so much emphasis on following the rules, hime-chan," Setsuna-mama concludes. "We've been lucky so far and haven't gotten punished for leaving the Door, but Erebus will seem like nothing compared to what we would face if we continued to meddle with the timeline."

"I'll keep that in mind," I say. We both stand to our feet with the intention of returning to our friends. My mother opens up a rift as I joke, "Luckily for me, my love and duty line up pretty nicely." Suddenly, the rift closes immediately, startling me.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on," I sigh. "You can't tell me that you haven't noticed."

"You have to end it," Setsuna-mama said sternly. Her eyes narrowed at me.

"There's nothing to end," I explain. "Serenity and I know that we can't be together in the long run, so we were never officially a couple or anything like that."

"Then what is she to you?"

"My queen and best friend," I answer honestly. Even if Serenity and I shared feelings for each other, we were friends at the core of it all.

"Good answer."

Setsuna-mama opens the rift again, and we step inside. I hope that we end up outside of the hideout, but the opposite happens instead. Everyone is startled, which is why I wanted to appear outside of the entrance. I don't think Setsuna-mama ever noticed their reactions, or maybe she simply ignored them.

"Way to make an entrance," Haruka-papa mumbles as she clutches the center of her bow. I look at Serenity, whose initial shock gave way to a smile. I smile back only to feel Setsuna-mama nudge me. I resist the urge to look at her in fear of seeing the disapproval on her face.

"My queen," Setsuna-mama says, "what do you propose we do now? We cannot wait any longer; we must finish this battle now."

Serenity's smile weakens and her eyes become sadder, but she doesn't retreat into herself like she normally would. Now that she is the current ruler, she has to be confident in her ability to lead. Without her being strong, our morale would disappear. I try to contain the grin that I feel forming on my lips. Serenity was growing up and maturing, just like her mother. The similarities between her and Usagi of the 20th Century were too obvious to ignore.

"We must go back to the palace. That's where our enemy is waiting," Serenity answers. She turns to Mercury, Mars, Uranus, and the Sailor Quartet and continues. "I know you're all weak, so you don't have to fight. Even if something happens to me, just conserve your strength. I'll handle everything," she explains. I can tell that the warriors don't exactly agree with that, but they can't argue with the queen.

Serenity turns to me and Setsuna-mama. She stares at me longingly for a few seconds before reverting back to being our leader. "If we all fail, go back to the Space-Time Door," she orders. Setsuna-mama nods, but I can't bring myself to do the same. "If that's all understood, let's move out."

As everyone makes their way out, Serenity keeps me behind. Setsuna-mama glares at me, silently warning me not to take advantage of this new opportunity. When Serenity and I are completely alone, she says, "If we all perish, you have to use your power and destroy everything."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, Hotaru, I'm serious," she says. "We have to make sure that we defeat this guy, and none of us can do it the way we stand right now."

"I'm not the Soldier of Death anymore, Serenity," I remind her. "I've given that title up to be a Guardian of Time, and you know that."

"You can't just give up your birthright for selfish reasons," Serenity explains, her voice rising. "That's not how destiny works. You have to face your fears, Hotaru. You can't let them dictate your actions."

I feel anger bubbling inside me. I don't want to unleash it on her, but she's the only person here. "You don't know the things I've seen, the things I went through when I was in charge of death. I'll be damned if I have to go back to that!"

"You're acting like a child!" Serenity shoots back. "Whether you like it or not, you will do as I say. We have to play the hand we're dealt, even if that means sacrificing our happiness."

I bite my tongue and glare at the shorter girl. She doesn't back down. She waits for me to accept my fate and tell her that I'll do what she says. I can't stall for time since we have none left, so I indignantly lower my head and mumble, "Fine."

Serenity takes a large step closer to me, leaving no space between us. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me roughly. She's never kissed me like that before and I immediately understand why. This will be the last time I get to kiss her before we fight Erebus.

Our previous tension melts away, leaving only the love we wish to show each other. My hands find their way to her hips before I know it. Even though doom lingers over us, we slip away from reality together. I try to savor the tingling sensation – the heat – of her lips on mine, but Setsuna-mama's voice slowly creeps into the forefront of my mind.

"_You have to end it."_

I push Serenity away, predictably met with confusion and disappointment. "Hotaru, what's wrong?" she asks softly.

"We can't do this," I mumble. "We have an enemy to fight, and what are we doing? Making out while the rest of the team is waiting on us."

Serenity flushes, and her eyes narrow. "Is there something wrong with wanting to spend time with you before we risk our lives?"

"Yes! I shouldn't be your top priority," I answer, crossing my arms defensively. I'm sure Setsuna-mama would have been proud of that response, but saying it doesn't feel right. The tone I used made it seem convincing enough, but something must have given me away – that or Serenity knows me enough to know when I'm not being honest with her.

The pink-haired girl closes the space between us again and stares into my eyes defiantly. "Say that again and mean it."

I look away from her, secretly hoping one of the Senshi would come back for us. She leans into my line of sight, and her gaze hardens. We both know that I can't repeat those words, so I try to explain myself.

"As much as we love each other, our relationship will never be acceptable. One day, you'll have to marry some other royal to continue your bloodline."

Serenity finally relaxes and offers a small smile. "The way things are looking, I don't think that'll happen for a while," she jokes. "Besides, do I look like the kind of person who would give you up so easily?"

I open my mouth to answer, but I get distracted by a kiss to the neck – my biggest weakness. She giggles as I struggle to find the words to say, but I eventually give up. A switch goes off in my head when I feel her teeth barely grazing over my skin, and suddenly she's pinned against the wall.

For a moment, I feel bad for leaving the other Senshi outside; but at some point, I simply stop caring.

_**-End Chapter Eight-**_

_The final battle is coming up! Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	10. Chapter Nine - Setsuna

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Chapter Nine - Setsuna**_

Hotaru and Serenity exit the hideout together, both looking very flustered. Hotaru's skin is tinted pink, while Serenity smoothes out her dress nervously, confirming my suspicions. I steal glances at the other soldiers, who are blatantly confused. I watch them cautiously, waiting for them to put the pieces. Mercury and the Sailor Quartet are the quickest to pick up on it and immediately blush. Rei senses a change in the atmosphere and regards her comrades carefully. When she looks back to the youngest members of the team, she catches on and turns her back on the rest of us to hide her amusement. Her shoulders shake as she stifles her laughter.

Predictably, Uranus is the only person who doesn't get it.

"What's Mars laughing about?" she asks. Mercury tries to calm Mars down by murmuring something barely audible to the rest of us, but it only adds to her laughter. Serenity rushes ahead to lead us without saying a word. "Is there something I'm missing here?" Uranus asks again. She looks to me and Mercury, but we don't give away anything.

Hotaru keeps her eyes low as she passes by. She stays a few steps behind Serenity without making it too obvious. Uranus's eyes zone in on Hotaru and suddenly she understands.

"Is that a hickey on your neck?"

Hotaru covers a spot just under her ear and walks faster, catching up to the small queen. Mars finally cracks and laughs with everything her frail body has left. A deep red color envelopes Mercury's face while the Quartet is caught between cheering their leader on and scolding her. Serenity hesitates to hold Hotaru's hand. I could tell that she's thinking about it but doesn't know if it's appropriate. In the end, she latches onto Hotaru's hand, and the two lead us to the Crystal Palace.

Once their apparent love sinks in with the rest of the group, we remember the problem at hand. Erebus and his minions could attack us at any second. They inhabit every shadow and every dark nook and cranny this world had to offer. If they wanted to, they could appear from our own shadows – that's how they got to all the citizens in Crystal Tokyo so quickly.

Rei suddenly stops dead in her tracks. Her features darken, and I know that the enemy is near. "Looks like we'll have to split up," she says. "Mercury and Uranus, you guys stay with me. We'll stall for time. The others will look after the Serenity." Hotaru's expression is notably grim. Uranus nods without hesitation, ready to die for Serenity's sake.

"Wait," Ceres interjects. "We'll stay here and take on the small fry. There'll be stronger enemies up ahead. You three are much strong than us, so you should go instead."

"Serenity is your responsibility," Mars says. "Our leader is gone, so we'll fight for what's left of her kingdom. You have the power to keep Serenity safe; you just have to have faith in yourselves."

Ceres is reluctant to agree with that, but she accepts Mars's reasoning. Mercury and Uranus stand by Mars's side and smile at us. "No need for goodbyes," the blonde says, staring at Hotaru. "We'll meet again." My daughter resists the urge to say what she really feels and simply nods. Serenity squeezes her hand to comfort her, though it barely has any effect. "Now get a move on. You have a bad guy to defeat."

Taking the initiative, I urge the girls to keep moving. Sounds of fighting don't reach our ears until we're too far away to help them. To think that the Inner Senshi have been eradicated saddens me to the core. The original team of five are lost to us, and now the only people who remain are the queen, two Outer Senshi, and the queen's four protectors.

We all keep our eyes open for any movements outside of our circle. Halfway through the journey, a black mass jumps out at Serenity from her left side. Sailor Juno is quick to react, using her body as a shield. Hotaru, Vesta, and Pallas form a circle around the queen, searching for more shadows in the area. I help Juno to her feet and ask her if she's alright.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answers. "I'll feel even better when we fight the bastard who did that." Shadow creatures appear from every direction as if her words had summoned them. They waste no time and charge at us with the intent of pulling us into the darkness they hailed from. I managed to clear out a section of them with my Dead Scream, but it doesn't stop more from spawning.

"Vesta, Pallas, help Pluto, Juno, and Ceres," Hotaru says as she summons her glaive to her hand. "I'll keep a shield around the queen." Vesta and Pallas nod and join the fray. I hear Hotaru yell, "Silence Wall!" behind me and know that I have nothing else to worry about for the moment. Now it's just a matter of how long Hotaru can maintain the shield around her and Serenity.

Fighting alongside the Sailor Quartet is truly a pleasure. I hadn't expected their power to be this strong due to their malnourishment, but they are fighters to the end. The fact that this is their first taste of real combat earned them more points in my book. They are putting their all into protecting their queen just like they vowed they would when they awakened. I would go as far as to say that their determination and devotion rivals that of the Inner Senshi – quote me on that. We clear out the area but barely have time rest when more creatures appear.

"This shield isn't holding up itself you know!" Hotaru gripes. We barely have time to regard her with the onslaught. I fear that we won't be able to make it to Erebus. Just as I'm about to attack another creature, a bright light illuminates the entire street. The shadows disappear and we are finally given a break.

"I'll shine this light for a little while until we get to the palace, but we have to hurry!"

I turn and find Serenity holding her Silver Crystal to her chest. Hotaru puts down her glaive, and the barrier between us and the younger girls fades. We rush to the palace as quickly as possible so that Serenity won't have to expend too much of her energy. When we arrive, the light blinks out and Serenity already feels weak. Hotaru holds her up while the Quartet crowd around her to make sure she's okay. I look up to the peak of the palace, expecting to see the body of my beloved dangling in the air. She is a mere speck from where I stand, but seeing her like this still makes me queasy.

"So you've finally made it. I commend you for getting this far, but game time is over."

Erebus is somewhere close but is nowhere to be found. A scream rings out, and we all jump. When we look, Pallas is gone. Suddenly, Vesta's shadow expands under her feet, and a black mass resembling hands drags her down into the darkness. The fear in her eyes is too much to bear. She gazes at Serenity, reaching out for her but getting no help. "Don't be afraid!" Serenity exclaims, standing to her feet on her own. "Just let it take you!" Vesta finds no solace in those words and is eventually gobbled up by her shadow.

Next is Ceres, and then Juno's turn comes next. Serenity reminds them to keep calm, to let the darkness take them, but only Ceres seems to remember the plan Serenity had in store for us. I wait for my descent into darkness, but Erebus appears in front of me instead.

"So we meet again," he grins.

"For the last time," I add.

"You are right, but you will soon realize that I will be the victor of this fight," he laughs. He snaps his fingers, and I see a pillar of darkness shoot up from behind him, apparently separating the two girls. After that, they are both dragged down to the deepest, darkest depths, leaving only Erebus and I. "Let's join those girls, shall we?" he says. With a wave of his hand, darkness spreads around me and consumes me. The solid ground beneath me opens up and swallows me.

As I fall, I can't see my own hand in front of my face. I wonder if this is what Neptune saw before being killed in this void. Some part of me expects the fall to end, but it only slows down until I begin floating. Somewhere in the distance, I can hear Hotaru attacking, but the darkness is too thick to see through. All seven of us are in the place, I deduce, but we're too far apart to be of any use. I try to float toward Hotaru's voice, but I feel something tugging me back. The farther I get (if I'm even getting anywhere), the more resistance I feel. I must be going in the right direction if I'm getting such opposition.

"Hotaru?"

"Setsuna-mama! Where are you?"

I summon my staff and yell, "Dead Scream!" The attack blasts through the slimy darkness, and I use it as my beacon of light. I do it over and over again, exhausting myself in the process. I try to make my way over to Hotaru, hoping that I'll find her. "Hotaru?"

"Setsuna-mama, I'm right here!"

Her voice is very close, and that's all the reassurance that I need. In the distance, I see a white light, so it has to be Serenity. It makes its way toward us with no problem. "Hotaru? Pluto?" Serenity asks.

"Yes, we're here, my queen," I say with great relief. "Do you know where the Quartet is?"

"Only the three of us are here, wherever this is," Serenity says with great sadness. "Erebus only spared the three of us, but who knows for how long."

Suddenly, Serenity gasps. Soon it sounds like she's choking, and I know that Erebus is in our midst. "I have come to kill each of you personally," he explains. "You three have been the reason my plans were stalled for so long, but no more!"

"Setsuna-mama, we have to do something!" Hotaru yells. She states the obvious, but our only problem is the fact that we can't see. There are two things that I can think of to illuminate the immediate area – using Time Stop or somehow getting Serenity to use her Silver Crystal while she's being attacked. Considering my mortal status, I feel fear just thinking about using Time Stop. If I use it, I can't come back to the world of the living. Meiou Setsuna will be no more, and the Space-Time Door will lose its true guardian.

"Setsuna-mama!"

"…Time Stop!"

My Garnet Orb shines immensely on my staff. I can see the side of Erebus as he chokes the life out of Serenity. Hotaru stares at me incredulously, surprised that she can still move. "What did you just do?" she whispers.

"You know what I've done," I sigh. "Don't waste any time. Use your Death Reborn Revolution to weaken him. Then have Serenity finish him off with the Silver Crystal."

Hotaru gulps and reluctantly does as she's told. I feel my life slipping away as ribbons wrap themselves around the source of the negative energy. They emit a dim glow as they carry Erebus away from the queen. I look at Hotaru one last time, choosing to go out with a smile. "I love you, hime-chan."

Everything returns to black just like it had the first time I performed Time Stop. This time, however, I can't feel Chronos at all as death washes over me.

_**-End Chapter Nine-**_

_Stay tuned for the epilogue! Til next time_

_Serenity101_


	11. Epilogue

Sacrifice

Summary: Crystal Tokyo as we know it is gone. Not all of the Senshi survived the battle, and the ones that did have been forced into hiding. The Royal Family has long since disappeared and is thought to be dead. I thought that I had seen the end, but my daughter, the former Solider of Death, taught me to never give up without a fight.

_**Epilogue**_

"Where are you going, Hotaru?"

"To the Space-Time Door. Someone has to watch over it."

"I wish you wouldn't leave."

"It'll be fine. I'll always be watching you."

I kiss Small Lady's lips before walking out of the guest room. We're both left with wanting more, but I have a duty to attend to. As I make my way outside, the sun shines on the Crystal Palace brilliantly just like it always should. Birds fly overhead and sing songs of peace throughout the kingdom. I haven't seen daylight in a while, so I soak it all in. I almost forgot what it looked like since Setsuna-mama always kept me cooped up on the other side of the Space-Time Door. I'm not complaining though. Seeing the outside world at its most beautiful state is a rare treat that I treasure. To even think that the war against Erebus had taken five long months – the thought still baffles me. Crystal Tokyo looks like it hadn't been touched by the likes of that monster, thanks to the power of the Silver Crystal. With the city's splendor came its people, guardians, and original rulers, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. Now Serenity is Small Lady once again.

In order to return the world back to its former state without Small Lady using up all of her energy, I tapped into my own power that I had neglected for so long. The Silver Crystal revived the land back to its former glory, while I restored the citizens and my friends. I remember seeing Erebus's face when the restorative light hit him. It was too much for him to bear. He disintegrated into nothingness, having no place in this world. I wanted to smile then because Small Lady and I had won, but it came at a price. Setsuna-mama is gone now.

I find myself meandering around the palace until I reach the Space-Time Door. I walk through it, ready to take my place as Guardian of Time. Before I can close the door behind me, I see a tall man standing before me with his hands behind his back. He is wearing a regal, purple robe bearing the symbol of Pluto. His skin is tan, and he has green hair that is slicked back. It doesn't take a genius to realize that this man is Chronos, Setsuna-mama's father.

"What are you doing here, Saturn?" he asks calmly. "You know you do not belong in this place."

I'm taken aback by his blunt statement. Confronting him so suddenly makes my heart race. "My mother entrusted the Space-Time Door to me," I explain nervously. "I am her successor."

"Quite the contrary, my dear child," he disagrees. His disinterested gaze cuts into me, but I don't have the will to look away. "Only my descendants can inhabit this space. You have your own birthright to reclaim."

"What do you mean?" I frown. The mention of my old job makes me uneasy.

A ghost of a grin appears on Chronos's face. "When you revived the humans and restored the Royal Family and their guardians, you accepted half of your birthright. You readily called upon the power you were destined to use to save the kingdom. That nullified any power that my daughter gave you in the past."

I mentally groan. In an odd twist of fate, I had given up any so-called right to be the next Guardian of Time. Now I see why Neo-Queen Serenity had been so apprehensive about letting me change who I was. Destiny would have eventually caught up with me. Erebus was only the catalyst.

"You alone cannot change the natural order that our existences are based upon," Chronos tells me. "Face your fears, child, and declare dominion over your birthright. You may be surprised by what happens next."

* * *

I retreat within myself and sense the souls of the world crying out. It's overwhelming, considering that I haven't given any souls rest since I lived with Setsuna-mama. I appear at a crossroads. Two paths leading to two different outcomes. The right road leads to eternal rest at the Elysian Fields, where Helios fulfills the dreams of souls ready to settle down; the left road leads to rebirth on Earth – a second chance of sorts for the spirits that are still strongly connect to the world of the living. For malicious spirits, I simply slam my glaive down, and they disappear forever. It seems like an easy task, yes, but I'm left alone to gauge whether or not a person is worthy of having peace or being reborn. I would trade jobs with the Inner Senshi in a heartbeat because fighting evil is easier than judging a person's soul.

Along the way, I come across one spirit that is particularly powerful. Sparks crackle around its aura and is practically bouncing off the wall. I have never seen anything like it, but it makes me smile. Seeing a soul this excited is unheard of but is a nice surprise. I point towards the left path, where it would be reborn as a new person, but it doesn't float down the path like it should have. Instead, it circles around me before shooting upwards and disappearing into the darkness.

For the rest of the day, I can't stop thinking about that one soul or how I'd return to Small Lady. How I would tell her about everything that's happened to me since I last saw her? Despite how badly I want to see her, I wait for Neo-Queen Serenity to beckon me from my post. I get used to the flow of work and find it less scornful than I once thought it to be. It becomes comfortable and sort of fits who I am. I do not hear from the queen until she announces another ball in celebration of her kingdom being saved.

I arrive at the palace early so that I can I seek out Small Lady. I surprise her with kisses when we are alone, and I know that she is ecstatic to see me. I tell her all about my conversation with Chronos and how I was finally comfortable with my destiny. Small Lady hangs on my every word, tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment. When I finish my story, she hugs me tighter than she ever had before and presses her lips against mine.

Close to the start of the ball, I leave Small Lady's side to be with my friends. I'm surprised to find Neptune and Uranus mingling with the Inner Senshi in the courtyard before the first round of patrolling. Their eyes meet mine, and everything seems to click. I dash into my mother's arms without a second thought and squeeze her. I'm sure I'm hurting her, but she doesn't care and simply holds me in her arms.

"I told you we would meet again," Haruka-papa grins. I'm on the verge of tears when she strokes my head. This moment would be complete if my other mother, Setsuna-mama, was still here.

"Has anyone seen Venus?" I hear Jupiter ask. "The gates are about to open and no can find her."

"Wasn't she with Pluto earlier?" Mercury asks in return, making me jump out of Michiru-mama's arms.

"What? You mean she's here?" I exclaim.

"Of course," Mars answers with a nod. "Why wouldn't she be? She always shows up for these parties."

I contemplate what the other warriors have told me. Setsuna-mama couldn't have been alive. By using Time Stop as a mortal, her soul couldn't be revived like the others' had been. None of this makes any sense.

"Oh, there they are," Michiru-mama points out.

I look behind me and find Setsuna-mama in uniform and holding hands with Venus. She is staring into the blonde's eyes lovingly and whispering things that made her laugh. When they turn their attention to the rest of us, I lose my breath. I realize that this isn't a dream and that Setsuna-mama is really walking towards us.

"Ah, hime-chan," she smiles. She lets go of Venus's hand to walk over to me and cradles my face in her hands. "You are a brave one. You certainly didn't get that from me."

"What does that mean? And how are you even here?" I ask. Tears fall down my cheeks and I don't try to hide it.

"Don't you remember?" she laughs. "You gave me a second chance, my child. When you accepted your fate and directed those souls, you granted me a new life."

That's when it all made sense. The soul that was different from the rest, the one that had bounced around and shot upwards when I gave it my final judgment – that had been Setsuna-mama all along.

Upon realizing that, I hug her and bury myself in her presence. Everything is as it should be, and the world – _my_ world – can finally experience peace.

_**-The End-**_

_Hope you all enjoyed this story! Til next story_

_Serenity101_


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